African motorsport fanatics received information last week that Kyalami’s tarmac will not host Formula 1 superstars next year; a punch in the stomach for the months of hoping. But for the people who have to make it happen, it was a great relief.
Anton Roux, head of Motorsport South Africa (MSA) and board member of the Formula 1 governing body (the FIA), stated that hosting South Africa’s first Grand Prix since 1993 in 2023 was “very ambitious” and put enormous pressure on the cast.
“Everyone felt the time pressure because if the Grand Prix were to go ahead, it would happen in April 2023”, he says. “It’s certainly realistic to say we can get it on the 2024 calendar because we now have significantly more time, we’ve got a good learning curve behind us from the months of work to make the 2023 race a reality, and we’ve already had some good conversations with potential new local promoters”.
The motorsport newspaper RacingNews365 reported last week that the South African Grand Prix would no longer take place in 2023 because of discussions between Formula 1, the host circuit Kyalami and the local promoter, Warren Scheckter’s South African Grand Prix Pty Ltd (Ltd), aka SAGP, has reached an impasse. The problem was that the government was not prepared to give financial guarantees for the race, and the SAGP, therefore, had to raise all the money themselves.
Related: Tentative lights out and away we go for Kyalami Grand Prix
Now, however, the SAGP is out of the picture, for reasons Roux did not want to elaborate on. Patrice Motsepe, one of our country’s wealthiest men, after talks with the SAGP, agreed to pay the hosting fee of R605 million but a new promoter will have to find out if he is still willing.
In addition to the hosting fee, an extra R100 million is needed to modernize Kyalami from its current Grade 2 certification to the Grade 1 certification – a prerequisite to hosting F1 races.
The changes include installing other rails at certain turns on the track, adjusting some curbs, and replacing the gravel with tar in some areas. A financier has yet to be found for it.
“The changes to the track itself are not a big deal and something like us having to set up pavilions for 90 000 people is a bigger challenge”, says Roux. “If you look at all your events in the rest of the world they are trying to get 250 000 people through the gates over three days to make it profitable, and we have the same objective”.
Roux says he realizes people were disappointed when it was confirmed that the F1 circus will not be coming to Kyalami next year, but will instead host another Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps after the contract for the historic race in the Ardennes was extended.
“I can’t tell you how many calls I’ve had – my phone hasn’t stopped ringing. But there’s no question that we’ve reached the end of the road. We’ve already had very promising conversations with potential promoters who have hosted highly successful international sporting events and know what it takes. To host a Grand Prix requires a lot of parties pulling together in the same direction, and those of us involved all really want it to happen. Now we have more time to make sure we do it properly” he says.
Here is to hoping we get to see the 20 best drivers the world has to offer in 2024 South Africa!
